Reborn as Richard Castle in Criminal Minds

Coincidentally, Castle and John shared the exact same thought. From his vantage point over six hundred meters away in the abandoned building, Castle watched with amusement as Zeus, that clever rascal, frantically drove a truck loaded with gold bricks—stolen from Simon—up to Castle's hiding spot. With Castle, the sniper, covering him, Simon's men dared not pursue Zeus in the sniper's direction. Zeus, looking like he had narrowly escaped death, jumped out of the driver's seat, grabbed three gold bricks from the truck's cargo hold, glanced up at Castle's position on the rooftop, and then bolted.

Castle and Zeus were both very satisfied with this outcome. After all, three standard gold bricks weigh a hefty 37.5 kilograms, a substantial fortune. Zeus had earned those gold bricks for his efforts today.

Now that Zeus had safely left the scene, it was time for Castle to make his exit before the police backup, the CIA, the FBI, and other agencies arrived. However, Castle had one final important task before leaving: to give Simon a parting gift and ease some of John's pressure.

If Simon couldn't be allowed to leave here alive, then Castle had to make sure he wouldn't have the chance.

With Zeus out of danger, Castle refocused on John, who was six hundred meters away. Thanks to Castle's PSG-1 sniper rifle and John's earlier charge, Simon's nearly thirty men had been reduced to single digits.

But John alone couldn't finish off Simon; he needed help. Castle decided to assist John one last time before leaving.

Castle reloaded his sniper rifle with a fresh magazine and ignored the remaining small fry among Simon's men. After all, if he wiped out all of them with his sniper rifle, John wouldn't have any glory left when the police arrived. So Castle aimed his first shot at Simon's muscle-bound girlfriend, who looked more like a man than a woman.

With a loud bang, Simon watched in horror as his girlfriend's head exploded like a watermelon struck by a sledgehammer. Her headless body collapsed, and this shot terrified Simon even more. He knew this was the critical moment. John and the sniper intended to kill him before the police backup arrived.

Realizing this, Simon tried to hide even more securely. He was now certain that as long as he could hold out until the police arrived, he wouldn't die. Although he didn't fully understand why, he assumed it was because some US intelligence agency had taken an interest in his organizational and planning skills. Regardless, his priority now was to survive the next few minutes until the police arrived.

Simon shouted orders in German to his remaining men, directing them to suppress John, who was charging at him with a small handgun, fueled by Castle's sniper cover. But then, another sniper shot rang out, and Castle took the opportunity to sever Simon's right arm.

Previously mentioned, Castle's military-grade PSG-1 sniper rifle used 7.62mm rounds. These rounds, while not as devastating as a Barrett's 12.7mm anti-materiel bullets, still packed a deadly punch. Castle's shot tore through Simon's right arm, leaving a bloody mess where his arm once was. Simon collapsed behind the truck he was hiding behind, knowing he was done for.

His military knowledge told him that the only way to survive this blood loss was immediate hospital care and a massive blood transfusion. He couldn't comprehend what grudge the mysterious sniper held against him to be so determined to kill him. This confusion left Simon momentarily speechless rather than crying out in pain.

Simon's men, loyal to him since their days in the German military, were equally stunned by the sight of their leader being taken down. They had followed Simon through numerous major crimes across Europe, consistently outsmarting law enforcement. Seeing Simon incapacitated shocked them into inaction, giving John McClane the perfect opportunity.

Unlike Simon's men, John didn't hesitate. Seizing the chance, he fired his Browning M1911, taking down the few remaining men around him. With Castle's cover, John quickly dispatched the rest of Simon's men.

Castle watched through his scope as John reached the fallen Simon and started talking to him. Satisfied with the outcome, Castle noted the approaching NYPD ESU helicopters. He put away his PSG-1, which had played a crucial role today by killing Simon's top bomb expert and girlfriend, and disabling Simon himself. Castle headed towards the truck filled with gold bricks. He hadn't forgotten his promise to bring a few bricks back for the little fatty to collect.

As Castle made his way to the truck, he noticed not just the NYPD helicopters but also two more helicopters approaching. One belonged to the FBI and the other to the CIA.

The FBI's presence was clear-cut. Simon's grand show had initially made the explosion at the Fifth Avenue department store seem like a minor case. However, the NYPD detective, Beckett, hadn't informed them that this explosion was just the beginning of a series of bombings and robberies across New York. This miscommunication led to the FBI and Homeland Security being blindsided and underprepared, earning them significant media ridicule.

The FBI felt wronged. How could they have known that the morning explosion was merely a diversion for the real heist at the Federal Reserve's vault? After 9/11, all explosion cases were automatically treated as federal cases until deemed otherwise. Today's event, however, turned out to be a huge misdirection, and the FBI was left holding the bag due to NYPD's lack of communication.

The FBI agents, agitated by their earlier treatment by Beckett, were now rushing to the scene, seeking to salvage their tarnished reputation and take control of the situation. Meanwhile, the CIA had its interests, likely in Simon's organizational skills, which had caught their attention, leading to the current situation.

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